Russellville AD ‘too busy to retire’The Russellville School District had originally scheduled Jim Dickerson’s come-and-go retirement reception for 3:30-5:30 p.m. today at the RHS cafe. But thanks to three, nearly four, sports teams playing for Class 6A state championships Saturday, the retiring athletic director hardly has time to retire. “All three of those are extra exciting,” Dickerson said Tuesday. “Having three championship games in one day is very special. We had two in on...

Russellville competes at Meet of ChampsHOT SPRINGS — The Class 6A state champion Russellville Cyclones and the Lady Cyclones sent several athletes to Lake Hamilton High School on Saturday for the 2012 Meet of Champs. The meet showcased all the state champions in all seven classifications, plus the next five best in each event, regardless of classification. The 6A state champion 4x800 team of Elijah Knight, Joey Shirley, Kyle Jones and UCA signee Ben Jordan continued improving as th...

Overcoming the odds: Lady Apache plays on despite rare bone diseasePOTTSVILLE — If a person watches enough sports, they’re sure to hear about this player and that player “playing through the pain.” During his senior season at the University of Mississippi, San Francisco 49ers all-pro linebacker Patrick Willis played the entire season with his hand in a cast after suffering a broken bone in it. Former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich is best known for leading his Marshall Thundering Herd down th...

Lady Cyclones beat Benton, headed to stateJACKSONVILLE — As teams headed into the weekend’s Class 6A state playoffs, most softball fans thought the title game would come down to traditional 6A powers Benton and Searcy. After postponing Saturday’s semifinals due to rain, the Lady Panthers and Lady Lions were handed a tough dose of reality. The Lady Cyclones (26-6) started the day off with a stunning 2-1 win over Benton, who came into the game with an impressive 30-1 record. The Lady Wo...

Lady Cyclones shutout Mountain Home
MOUNTAIN HOME — Sweet, sweet revenge. The Russellville Lady Cyclones surprised the Class 6A soccer landscape last season with an unexpected run to the state title game. The Lady Cyclones, however, couldn’t convert using their relentless attack and fell 1-0 to Mountain Home. Russellville had a chance to pay the Lady Bombers back Saturday in the semifinals of the 6A state playoffs at Mountain Home, and took advantage of that chance with a 2-0 wi...

ATU anglers flip spots; finish 2nd, 6th on Fort Gibson LakeWAGONER, Okla. — Arkansas Tech University’s Jordan Mullenix and Evan Smith came up less than two pounds short, but caught 26 total pounds of fish to take the runner-up spot Saturday after the 2012 Carhartt College Series Central Super Regional on Fort Gibson Lake. ATU’s Fishing Club was represented in third, sixth and 26th place, respectively, after Friday’s first-round action. The duo of Aaron Sarna and Evan Barnes were third, Smith-Mullenix ...

Three Arkansas football players arrested for burglaryFAYETTEVILLE — Three Arkansas football players have been suspended indefinitely after being arrested and charged with residential burglary after stealing items from dorm rooms. Wide receivers Marquel Wade and Maudrecus Humphrey and tight end Andrew Peterson are currently being held in the Washington County Detention Center after being arrested by the University of Arkansas Police Department on Saturday. Peterson and Humphrey have been charged ...

Baxendale ready to start despite little restFAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas pitcher DJ Baxendale said his father tried to talk him out of it. He also had a long conversation with Arkansas pitching coach Dave Jorn. But No. 20 Arkansas (34-15, 12-12 in Southeastern Conference) needs a starting pitcher to set the tone to open the weekend series against Auburn (26-22, 10-14) in Baum Stadium. So Baxendale wants the ball tonight, despite throwing 110 pitches in a seven-inning start against South Caro...

Russellville Cyclones pound Mountain Home, advance to state semifinalsMOUNTAIN HOME — The Russellville Cyclones baseball team had to sit and watch the Class 6A state playoffs Thursday, but wasted no time getting things going when they took the field in Friday’s second round. The Cyclones (22-7) jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back in a 7-0 win over tournament host Mountain Home. Senior pitcher Derek Birginske struck out nine of the 24 batters he faced as he gave up just three hits and a walk in the s...

Two ATU fishing teams in top 10 at super regionalWAGONER, Okla. — Arkansas Tech University Fishing Club anglers are in third, seventh and 26th place after the first round of the 2012 Carhartt College Series Central Super Regional on Fort Gibson Lake. Aaron Sarna and Evan Barnes earned third place in the day-one standings after they caught five fish Friday that tipped the scales at 14 pounds, 9 ounces. Jordan Mullenix and Evan Smith are in seventh after they caught five fish that weighed 13-3...

Lady Cyclones softball, soccer win convincingly; Dardanelle soccer wins first-ever playoff game MOUNTAIN HOME — The No. 4 Russellville Lady Cyclones soccer team started their playoff run to a second straight Class 6A state championship berth with a convincing 6-0 win over No. 5 Benton on Thursday. Russellville took a while to find the net, though it took about 10 shots on goal before Shannon Hocker took a Bailey Stokes pass and slipped it past the Lady Panthers’ keeper with 20:55 left on the first-half clock. That goal opened the flood g...

ASU head coach Gus Malzahn to visit Russellville on WednesdayJONESBORO — Arkansas State University’s Department of Athletics announced Thursday a statewide speaking tour for new head football coach Gus Malzahn is set for Tuesday through Thursday, when he will make stops in 14 different Arkansas cities as part of the “Head of State Road Tour.” Malzahn, who has been considerably active within the state borders with numerous speaking engagements and also been visible on a national level through media cover...

Remembering Coach Sevier — an Arkansas legendThere will be an empty seat when the Golden Suns open their 2012 volleyball season in August inside John E. Tucker Coliseum. There will be an empty seat behind the western end zone, under the shadow of the goal post at Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field, when the Wonder Boys kick off their football season in September. There will be an empty seat alongside the basketball court when the Wonder Boys and Golden Suns tip off in November, when the cros...

Long named 7A/6A Central coach of the year; Lady Apaches prepare for AshdownMOUNTAIN HOME — Russellville Cyclones head baseball coach Matt Long has turned the school’s baseball program around in his four years as coach, and that continued success was finally recognized when coaches of the 7A/6A Central Conference voted Long as the league coach of the year. “It’s just proof-positive that you have to have good players to be a good coach,” Long said. “I told them [7A/6A Central coaches] when they voted me that [coach of ...

4 Eagles make all-conference baseball teamCLARKSVILLE — Four University of the Ozarks baseball players were named to the American Southwest Conference All-East Division Team, the ASC office announced Tuesday. Senior centerfielder Chris Driedric and junior second baseman Nick Brill were named to the second team. Junior shortstop Mitchell Powers and junior pitcher Ian Bryan earned honorable mention. Brill, a 6-foot, 195-pound native of Siloam Springs, led the team in RBI (28), total bas...

Razorbacks sports update (Thursday, May 10, 2012)JUCO forward commits to Arkansas FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas added another player to its 2012-13 roster Wednesday, when junior college power forward Coty Clarke told Hawgs Illustrated he had committed to the Razorbacks. The 6-foot-7 Clarke attended Lawson State (Ala.) Community College and averaged 16.2 points and 13.5 rebounds a game. He was the nation’s second-leading JUCO rebounder last season. Lawson played high school basketball at Pinson Val...

RHS’s Sisson named coach of year; local teams open state playoffs todayThe Russellville Lady Cyclones softball team continues to make school history, and coaches in the 7A/6A Central Conference saw that success and honored head coach Harley Sisson with the conference Coach of the Year award after he led the Lady Cyclones to 23-6 overall and 11-3 conference records. “Anytime your coaching peers nominate you for an award like that, you’re really humbled because there are a lot of good coaches in our [conference] th...

Something to play forDARDANELLE — Most coaches will tell you a player is most effective when they have something to play for, as long as it’s not for just personal gain. For Dardanelle Lady Sand Lizard Laura Vorster, there is someone special the senior played for in 2012. “My dad got me into softball,” Vorster said. “He started a little T-ball team because my brother had started off in baseball for a little while, but he quit because he kept on getting hit. My dad...

Lady Cyclones beat Conway 3-2 on Senior NightThe Russellville Lady Cyclones capped its biggest season of softball in grand fashion Monday night with a 3-2 win over arch-rival Conway at M.J. Hickey Park on Senior Night. The win gave Russellville (23-6, 11-3 7A/6A Central) the No. 3 seed in the Class 6A state playoffs this week, and sent the small senior group out as the winningest class in school history. Seniors Megan Hale and Kaitlyn Reed are the only two seniors on the squad, so the Se...